k12 student title 9 & sexual misconduct representation

As a student in a K-12 district that receives federal funding, you have the right to be free from sexual harassment and discrimination in school. Title IX to the Education Amendments of 1972 provides due process to respondents alleged to have engaged in sexual harassment or discrimination, and to complainants complaining of the same. Respondents are students or teachers accused of engaging in sexual harassment or sex-based discrimination. Complainants are students or teachers who’ve complained that they have been subjected to sexual harassment or sex-based discrimination. If a student respondent is found in violation of Title IX, they can face suspension, expulsion, and revision or revocation of other privileges such as participation in extracurricular activities.

If your student has been notified by the district that they have been named as a respondent in a Title IX investigation, your student has the right to an advisor, which may or may not be an attorney. Your student’s advisor may be present at all investigative stages, and may advise them through the investigative interview, help them review the evidence obtained, advise them through their response to the evidence, and advise them through an appeal if necessary. We highly recommend that your student’s advisor be an attorney well-versed in Title IX representation, as a competent Title IX attorney will not only provide them with crucial advice through the Title IX process, but will also help you and your student evaluate and identify possible grounds for a lawsuit against the district.

At Albeit Masters, we are experienced in handling Title IX matters on both the respondent and the complainant side, and previous experience in the same is crucial to effective representation. This is because representation in a Title IX proceeding requires different decorum, advocacy and knowledge than representation in a courtroom, and an approach tailored to Title IX is critical to the best outcome possible.